HHS, Congress begin push for health care IT

The Health and Human Services Department and House and Senate lawmakers last week kicked off campaigns to press for adoption of health care IT.

Reps. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) and Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) introduced the 21st Century Health Information Act that would provide funding through grants and loans to support the start-up of regional health networks and physician investments in administrative and clinical technology.

It also calls for interoperability standards and provisions to let hospitals help fund physicians' IT adoption.